Rho'ha
Rho'ha was a Taelon scientist and protege of Ne'eg. He was involved in an experiment combining Human and Taelon DNA in order to try to obtain aggressive human emotions. Rho'ha wanted to create a Taelon warrior caste. Using DNA from career soldier and latent psychic Captain Lucas Johnson, who had been earlier modified by the Taelons and was now comatose after injuries sustained in a battle with Companion forces after kidnapping Da'an, utilising his anger as fuel to reawaken the ancient combat skills the Taelons had long since supressed, allowing Rho'ha to activate the vestigial Shaquarava, becoming the first Taelon in centuries to successfully do so. A test of Rho'ha's skill in battle against the implants William Boone and Ronald Sandoval, quickly confirmed that, while inexperienced, Rho'ha was clearly dangerous, easily defeating both and referring to the exercise as a game. Subsequently Rho'ha began to display increasingly agressive and erratic behaviour, speaking to Da'an using an ancient threat, asking Boone questions about warfare and speaking increasingly about Johnson and how Rho'ha felt he would answer Rho'ha's questions. Gradually it became clear that the transformation had damaged Rho'ha's connection to the Commonality, but as opposed to being rendered alone; Rho'ha had developed a link to Johnson's mind, whose thoughts and feelings were influencing Rho'ha's behaviour, his rage at his predicament causing the Taelon to display growing aggression and his memories and thoughts confusing the Taelon. Subsequently Rho'ha went to Johnson's bedside where he was confronted by Johnson's former commander who approached with a weapon, Rho'ha filled with rage, first disarmed and then killed him with the Shaquarava, fleeing unaware that a security camera had recorded the murder. Growingly unstable, Rho'ha journeyed to the home of Johnson's family, demanding understanding of Johnson. However the images presented (showing Johnson as a devoted family man and friend) confused the caste-minded Rho'ha who could not understand why Johnson needed to be these things, demanding images of him in battle and ignoring Johnson's mental requests to stop. Subsequently Lilli Marquette and William Boone arrived on the scene, Rho'ha quickly incapacitated Lilli and fled into the woods with Johnson's family, intending to kill them to free Johnson and thus himself from connections that did not serve 'his Caste', ignoring Johnson's begging for their lives. Boone subsequently intervened, saving the Johnson family, but leaving himself at the mercy of a now deeply unstable Rho'ha. However during this Johnson had made mental contact with Da'an, who, saddened at Johnson's predicament and understanding the danger, helped Johnson switch off his life support. Rho'ha, with Johnson dead, was now alone for the first time in his life, dazed and freightened he was then stunned by Boone and taken back to the Taelons who made several attempts to heal Rho'ha. This would prove only a partial success: while Rho'ha was successfully rendered functional, his link to the commonality was irrepairly damaged and the human DNA could not be removed from Rho'ha's system. When the security camera footage came to light Rho'ha became the first Taelon to be charged in Earth court, the crime murder, States Attorney Joshua Doors acting as prosecutor, while Sandoval and Boone acted as defence. The trial began well, with Boone successfully building an argument of self defense on Rho'ha's part and Rho'ha himself remaining calm and remorseful. However Doors, who had been secretly supplied information on the experiment, began challenging the Taelon on it, ignoring the objections of Sandoval and the orders to cease from the judge, successfully provoking Rho'ha not only to a violent outburst, but to a partial face transformation, showing Johnson's features, implying the truth of Doors's claims. The judge nevertheless ruled Doors's accusations groundless and Sandoval's eloquent closing seemed to invoke strong jury sympathy. However, while the human jury members were convinced, Zo'or (who had been appointed as the jury's sole Taelon member) voted Guilty. He revealed the Taelons' true status as energy beings and convinced them that Rho'ha would not have been harmed by the Major's weapon, and that he was aware of this. Rho'ha was thus found Guilty and sentenced to death. Boone however was not ready to give up on Rho'ha and called for the death penalty to be dismissed in this case as being against Public Policy. He subsequently successfully argued that while capital punishment was applicable to humans, Rho'ha was an alien whose death at humanities hands would cause great consequences for both races. Rho'ha was thus sentenced to be incarcerated in a joint Human-Taelon facility. Rho'ha was granted a period of time to put his affairs in order and during this time he was visited by Zo'or, who pointed out that the risk of humans studying him and discovering the truth was unacceptable, and thus with a final request to thank Boone for his passionate defence of Rho'ha's life (which made him proud to carry a piece of humanity in him), Rho'ha willed himself to die. Gallery File:Pandora's_Box_06.jpeg|With Ne'eg in "Pandora's Box" File:Pandora's_Box_Rho'ha.jpeg|In "Pandora's Box" File:Pandora's_Box_08.jpeg|Becoming a Hybrid in "Pandora's Box" File:Shaquarava.jpg|Displaying the Shaquarava in "Pandora's Box" File:Pandora's_box_01.jpg|In "Pandora's Box" File:Pandora's_box_12.jpeg|Imprisoned in "Pandora's Box" Category:Characters Category:Taelons Category:Hybrids